The Impatient Sewist

Everyone uses to-do lists. For some it’s a just a list in their phone’s built-in notes app. For others it’s a complicated spreadsheet with tags, due-dates and filtering functionality. And some people, who clearly worship the reign of chaos, keep the list in their heads.

To-do lists are useful for keeping track of personal projects, but looking at them can feel daunting too. Especially when you’re busy and the tasks start piling up, each bullet point on the list can feel like a shot to your motivation. And then we open Instagram or TikTok, see what everyone else has made, and feel even worse!

It doesn’t matter how many times you’re told not to compare your output to what you see on social media. With a few scrolls of the thumb, you can literally see hundreds of people’s work and even the most productive creator won’t match that. And this is where the “done” list comes in.

As well as keeping a list of projects to-do, keep a log of the projects you have done. Not only is it incredibly satisfying to add something to that list, but seeing that list grow over time reinforces the idea that you’re making progress. Keep this “Done List” in visible place – at the start of a notebook, stuck on the wall – and every day the list will show you that you’re doing a great job.

The power of the Done List is all about habits. Every day, social media shows you how much everyone else has done. The Done List shows you what you have achieved, and it’s your daily antidote that can help to fight a feeling of inadequacy. Of course it’s not going to solve all your problems, but for me it’s been a great help.